The new health clinic in Digby should be open for business by January 2014.

Anthony Muise, vice-president of operations with South West Health wrote to Mayor Ben Cleveland on Oct. 19 to give him a timeline for the project and to highlight when SWNDHA would need money from the town.

“The timing of the project would indicate that most of the funding requests that we will be forwarding to you will commence April 2013 and be completed by January 2014,” said Muise in his letter.

Mayor Ben Cleveland says council hasn’t yet approved their capital budget and now is at least aware they need to discuss this during the budget meetings.

The town first agreed in December 2009 to fund $250,000 of the clinic construction costs. At that time estimates pegged construction costs at $2.4 million.

When that estimate dropped to $1.7 million in March 2010, the town amended their commitment to be 10.4 per cent of the capital costs or $177,000.

Muise’s letter says SWNDHA is now “well along in the design stage with both the architect and mechanical consultants on board.”

They expect to finish 90 per cent of the design work by the end of November and go to tender in February/ March next year.

They plan to award the tenders and start construction in March or April, have the building up by December and occupants moving in in January 2014.